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COPPERHEAD CONSPIRACY 



IsTOETH-^VEST. 



AN EXPOS]^ OF THE TREASONABLE OEDER OF 
THE " SONS OF LIBERTY." 



AT-^ILLiXi^AJSTDIG-il^iyr, Suprenie Coirinaaiicier. 




forts 

Democratic party in tlie JN ori , ^ 

efforts, determined to form secret, outhboi.;^- 

ciatious throughout the Northern States to :. dfert wilir*""^ 

those ah-eady existing in the States iu rebellioii. i^, ', 

In 1863 this order existed in the State of lud .ana, under the 
name of " Knights of the Goklen Circle," and became subject to 
judicial investigation, as is shown in th6 following statement of 
the Clerk of the United States Disti'ict Court for that State : 

T, Watt J. Smith, Clerk of the United States District Court for the Dis- 
trict of Indiana, do hereby certify that the records of said Court establish 
the following facts : 

On the eleventh of February, 1863, the follo'.ving persons of iMoi-gan 
County were indicted for conspiracy to resist by force of arms the arrest of 
deserters, namely : 

Samuel Dillmau, William Dillman, Jacob Groscclose, Andrew J. Perry, 
John Coldwill, Madi?on Flake, Mitchel Porry, were tried at the March term, 
18G3, by jury, convicted, and ea,ch fined five hundred dollars. The proof 
established the feet that the defendants were members of a secret, oath- 
bound organization, then known as the Knights of the Golden Circle ; that 
they tired upon United States soldiers who had in charge two deserters 
who were members of the same order. 

Co the seventh of July, 1863, the following persons of Boone County 
wore indicted for obstructing the di'aft, namely : Patrick Lee, Patrick White, 
Jeremiah Nichols, John Nichols, Jacob Hill. Jeremiah Gleeson, John Dog- 
lass, EH Goodwin, Conrad Hill, Nathan Curtis, James M. Lucus, Wright 
Sims, William George. Each ji^eaded guiltj^ and were fined. 

July eleventh, 18G3, the following persons of Putnam County were 
mdicted for conspiracy, to oppose the draft, namely : William llandel), John 
Ford, George Ford, Isaac Ford, Alexander Siddons, William Hornmill, 

Printed by the Union Conc/ressional Committee. 



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George Hanks, George N. Coffman. These men alleged that they were a 
committee appointed at a meeting to wait upon the enrolling commissioner 
and demand that he proceed no further. The District Attorney dismissed 
the charge of conspiracy, and a verdict of guilty was returned on the charge 
of obstructing the draft, and each were fined. 

Also the following persons, of the same county were indicted on same 
chaige : Joseph Ellis, William Ellis, Isaac Day, William McNary, Francis 
Allen, Conrad Cook. Joseph Ellis was tried on the charge of conspiracy, 
found guilty, and fined five hundred dollars. Verdicts of guilty were ren- 
dered against the others on charge of obstructing the draft. The proof 
clearly established the fact that between seventy-five and one hundred 
armed men (many of them blackened their faces) went to the house of the 
Enrolling Commissioner about midnight and demanded his enrollment 
papers, and obtained and destroyed them. 

The following persons of Monroe County were indicted for obstructing the 
draft: Elmore J. Walker, Joel Morgan, John Graves, John Morgan, Sen., 
Richard J. Walker, Elijah Conder, Henry Crumb, Washington Sares, John 
Butcher, John Morgan, Jr., Abraham May, Peter Fossett, Alexander Smith, 
Drury Kirk, ^lichael Kirk, Lemuel Sexton, William Whitaker, Preston 
May, "Wesley Carter, Thomas Oliphant, John Whitaker ; a verdict ef guilty 
was retur^ftd aarains} agrb. 

T^^' uefendants, in connection with others, n;iet and surroundedthe En- 
rolling Officer, and by ^rce obtained possession of the en^pllmer^4 papers. 

There have been " great pisyjy other convictions and pleas of guilty of 
porsons residing in irious parts of the State on charges of obstructing the 
Draft. 

The p^oof, in imost every instance, connected the defendants with a 
secret organizat' n whose objects were shown on the trials to be opposition 
to the executio.i of the laws of the United States, to the prosecution of the 
war, and friendly to the cause of the rebeUion. 

The records of the Court further show that three witnesses who were 
taken before the Grand Jury and refusing to testify, a presentment of the 
facts in each case was made to the Court signed by the foreman of the 
Jury. In answer to a rule entered against each to show cause why they 
did not answer the questions propounded to them by the Grand Jury, they 
and each of them testified before the Court that they could not answer the 
questions proposed without criminating themselves and rendering them- 
selves liable to a criminal prosecution for a violation of the laws of the 
United States, that they were members of this secret order, and could not 
disclose its objects and purposes for the above reasons, and were shielded 
by the Court on the ground that they could not be required to criminate 
themselves. 

* The existence of a wide-spread secret order whose purposes are disloyal, 
and at war with the peaceful execution of the law, has been established 
beyond all question by the trials and convictions in this Court, as conclu- 
sively shown by the records. 

In witness of the truth of which, I, as Clerk of the said Court, have here- 
unto set my hand and the seal of the said Court, at Indianapolis, this 
twelfth day of September, a.d. 1864. Watt J. Smith, Clerk. 

It became the duty of General Carrington, the Commander of 
the District of Indiana, to find out the doings of this treasonable 
association ; and, for that purpose, resort was had to the detective 
Kystem, so eifectual in the discovery of crime. The result of his 
investigation is given in the following report made by him to 
Governor Morton : 



t3n^ 



3 

Headquaiiteks District of Indiana, 1 
NoKTiiEUN Department, > 

Indianapolis, Ind., June 28th, 1864. ) 
GovERNOK : In compliance with your request, I jilace in j'our hands a 
partial outline of the nature, work, and extent of a disloyal society or order 
now operating in the State of Indiana, under the name of " Sons of Lib- 

EKTY." 

I. NATUIIE OP THE OKDEU. 

1st. It is both civil and military. In its first relation, it declares prin- 
ciples of ethics and politics, for adoption and dissemination, that are hostile 
to the Government of the United States. In the latter relation, it assumes 
to organize armies for " actual service " in support of those principles, treat- 
ing the United States Government as their e>ic?ni/, and that of the rebellion 
as their friend. 

2d. It is secret and oath-hound. 

8d. It is despotic and absolute. The penalties of disobedience to its offi- 
cers are unlimited, including the death-penalty itself. 

ir. rRINCIPLES OF THE OKDKu. 

Lbsolute, inherent, StwPP^^^^nty. -^^ . 

atL rVi« uin<t>tr Ji the Stsltes as but voluntary ahu" ceuipo»*u.')". an3 revo- 

■ "•'' f any' individual S&|||kj|P far as conceriiB tHat State. 



(■' Ml r.il riovcnf^W the powcrt6'tflifol-ce its laws, if 
.„ ij^ .;.'- ^.i'j.__ 'ji u ^IliUj to reject them. " " 

4th. Recognizes the existing rebellion as legitimate, legal, and just. 

5th. Holds revolution against the present Government as not only a 
right, but a duty. 

Cth. Holds obligations to the order as paramount, to those due a single 
State, or the United States. 

7th. Declares its purpose to stop this war, treat with rebels, and make 
a treatj"- based upon the recognition of grades of civilization and race. 

8th. Declares a law of races, one of Caucasia^n supremacy, and one of 
African servitude. 

9th. Pledges a crusade in favor of all peoples attempting to establish 
new governments of their own choice, as against e'xisting rulers or authori- 
ties. 

10th. Accepts the creed of the rebellion, its logic, its plans, and its prin- 
ciples, as the normal theory of Democracy, and its own bond of coherence 
and ultimate success. 

III. EXTENT OF THE ORDER, 

Exhibits are furnished as follows : 

E.xhibit A. "Constitution of Supreme Council of the States," that i.s, 
of all States that may join, recognizing the primary independence of each 
State. " The Supreme Commander of this Council," is " Commander-in- 
Chief of all military forces belonging to the order, in the various States, 
when called into actual service." — See Sec. 8. 

OFFICERS FOR 18G4 AS REPORTED. 

C. L. Vallandigham, of Ohio, Supreme Commander. 

Robert IloUoway, of Illinois, Deputy Supreme Commander, 

Dr. Massey, of Ohio, Secretary of State. 

Exhibit B. Constitution of Grand Council of S. L. of Indiana. • 

OFFICERS. 

II. II. Dodd, Indianapolis, Grand Commander. 
H. Heffi-en, Salem, Deputy Grand Commander. 
W. M. Harrison, Indianapolis, Grand Secretary 



*' i 



* "* * 



"The members of this Counci], additional to the regular officers, include, 
€X officio^ the Grand Commander's staff, and all military ofScers above tho 
ranic of Colonel."— Sec 3, Art. 2. 

' E.\-hil)it C. Constitution of the County Parent Temples, subordinate to 
Mdiich Branch County Temples may be organized. 

This order, during 1863, was variously named, but popularly known as 
" K. G. C," KsiGHTS OF THE GoLDEN CiHCLE, with whose ritual, oaths, etc., 
I furnished j'-ou in the spring of 1863. The penalty of disclosure was then 
death, and this penalty was specified in their obligations. 

During the fall of 1863, the order changed name and ritual, and became 
the " O. A. K.," Order of American Knights ; the ritual, signs, pass- 
words, etc., of which are in my possession. 

At the meeting of this Order, February 16th and 17th, 18G4, the Grand 
Commander for the State of Indiana communicated the purposes of the 
Order, as well as the views of C. L. Vallandigham, claimed by the Order as 
its Head and Supreme Commander. 

For said address, the proceedings of the Indiana Grand Council, and so 
much of tile i.lhcial pioceediiigs as it was deej^d"best to publish for the 
private informationof^M^Mfcr, pi --—._. 

This EuM^Mfll^^^^ft Sta 




degrees, the same being a. slight modiflcation of The work of 
'^0. A. K.j" which was abandoned only in May last. 

These consist of the " V.," Vestibule of the Temple, and first, second 
and third Temple Degi'ees or Conclaves. 

The organization of the "Society of the Illini," or Democratic Clubs, 
does not involve full member.ship in the Order; for thus for comparatively 
few in each Temple are advanced to the Chapters or Councils of the higher 
degrees, but the lower and subordinate bodie.s, and that of the " Illini," is 
educational and probationary, looking to full acceptance of the general prin- 
ciples of the order, before the advancement of the "Neophyte," to the 
higher degrees. 

As aijpcars from the official report of February 17th, there were, then, 
only twelve thousand members in tliis State, and a recent report from a 
portion of the State would hardly triple this number, that is, of initiates, 
though tliey claim for some counties full battalions, and in a few cases 
full regiments. 

E.xiiiHiTS F, F, G, AND II give the Ritual of said degrees. 

It will be observed that the fundamental password is CAi.noiiN, trans- 
posed for use thus — Nu-oh-lac 

The unwritten work and lectures of this Order vary in different States 
and counties, and in Temples of the same county, though not in essentials. 
This is accounted for from the fact that organizing agents, in installing 
ofDccrs, could not take time to fully post and instruct tiicm, and the work 
was im])crfcctly committed to memory. 

While the penalties of disclosure are formally declared to be such as the 
officers of tbis Order shall direct, these penalties are specifically given in 
the verbal lectures and instructions. The oaths of 1863 specifically affixed 
the death-penalty. The same is enjoined in the present Order. Instruc- 
lioi^ to exciite this penalty upon at least one supposed informer have been 
isst"d within the last two months. Injunctions to arm, and much of the 
• letail of subordinate military features of tlie Order are also given in verbal 
lectures. Concurrent testimony from diliercnt sources confirms the above. 
Many of the documents you have already seen, and they are not necessary 
in this report. 



lY. OPERATION'S OF THE ORDER. 

A few facts, derived from many concurrent sources, give significance to 
passages in tlie Constitutions and Rituals. Of some you were advised at 
the time — thus : • 

1st. The outbrealvS in Eastern Illinois were mainly checked by leaders of 
this Order, on the ground that. such outbreaks were preniatiu'e. This in- 
formation comes from Canada, Michigan, Illinois, and other quarters. 

2d. A lews da3-s before the attack of Forrest upon Paducah, I was in- 
formed that the Temples of the 0. A. K. in Northwestern Illinois expected 
such an attack, and that Forrest would cross into Illinois, and raise the 
standai-d of revolt. He came to Paducah, but was repulsed. 

3d. On the day that Morgan flrst entered Pound Gap, I was informed at 
Indianapolis, in the morning, that Morgan was about to enter Kentuck}"^, of 
which you were at once advised. At three p.m. you showed me a telegram 
from General Burbridge, that Morgan was in the Gap. This information, 
derived from yon, was communicatedio the secret Order with my permis- 
.sion. Upon this, two members of the Order, both prominent — one Colonel 

iriety. and the other Jud:;e J. F. Ibillitt 
ted tu have 




ped. The incuTcnts' 

, --.J . i _...iJsay from' Kentucky j-ou are ftimilitir wTT 

circumstances under which Morgan threw part of his force into Kentucky, 
wlien General Burbridge moved toward Virginia. 

4th. Information was given you of the visit of Vallanuigham to Detroit, 
hi-i projected trip to Chicago, of the meeting of the Grand Council of Indi- 
ana, June 13, of the proposed adjournment and meeting at Hamilton, June 
15, and that Vallandigham's immediate recall was subject of debate, and 
the prospect of his being at that time at Hamilton. At least one rebel offi- 
cer left Windsor, C. W., and visited Hamilton four weeks before, in the 
conlidence of dislo3'al persons, of which I was advised at that time by 
telegraph through General Noble. , 

5th. Five days before Morgan attacked Mount Sterling, and the L. and L. 
R. R. was severed, written report was sent by disloyal persons, of which 
I have the originals, that the road was quiet, that "no mules" (U. S. 
soldiers) were on the line, and that a glorious work would begin the 
coming week. 

Cth. A courier intercepted between Frankfort and Louisville, who reported 
t© me at Louisville, as I was starting for Indianapolis, claimed that Forrest 
was moving upon Southwesterti Kentuck}'', and that a portion of Buckner's 
command would join the fragments of Morgan in Western Virginia. Two 
days after, Forrest defeated Sturgis ; Buckner, however, was west of the 
Mississippi. I give these among many facts to show that there is a close 
correspondence of design and feeling betw'een traitors North and the rebels 
South. The whole plot of the Order herein referred to is in harmony 
with forcible interruption of the war. 

W. A. Bowles, before referred to, has made no close secret of his disloyal 
purposes, and his sympathy with the South. 

lie is reported as one of the four Major-Generals of the Order in Indiana. 
The remaining three are L. P. Jlilli^n, of Huntington, M.-yor AVall#er, of 
northwestern part of Indiana, vice Yeagle removed, and Andrew Hum- 
phreys, of Green county. The Grand Conunander has already been named. 

Although the new work, S. L., was obtained at Indianapolis, by R. , Bar- 
rett, for Missouri, it is understood that the Order is so far organized in that 
State as to run a risk of disappointment by a change, and that the work of 



the 0. A. K. will retain its usage, as it differs onl}' in non-essentials. 
Among the persons reported as at tlie conference with Judge Bullitt and 
Barrett, were J. J. Bingham, Dr. Antlion, and Mr. Ristine, of Indianapolis. 
I will also give the names of a few other members for your information, to 
enable you to watch the movement of this Order in Indiana, namely, Dr. Gat- 
ling, (associated with the Catling Gun,) Mr. Evert, of Vanderburgh, Mr. L. 
Leach, Mr. Otey, Myers of Laporte, Dr. Lemons, A. D. Raga, Mr. McBride, 
of Evansville, John G. Davis, and Lassell, of Cass county. Several of the 
above are delegates to the State Grand Council of Missouri ; and besides, 
n. 11. Dodd, to the Supreme Grand Council, to be held at Chicago, the first 
of July next, preparatory to the political convention of July 4. 

V. PURPOSES OF THE ORDER. 

It seems that the main pui-pose is political power, by union with the 
South, regardless of men or measures. The Eastern and Western Council 
leaders differ as to means to this end ; and, again, the radicals and conserv- 
atives differ, at the West. 

Men like Dr. W. A. Bowles seem indifferent to any presidential canvass, 
and to prefer an early armed rupture and positive union of the Northwest 
with the South. . •_ 

Such men vxz ^ItTJay 'alii ?.Ti^ious ior such an avmei \?.y^'?,\on as will give 
* utiii a nucleus for open deflancOjOf the United States. This is not specu- 
lation ; but proof is ample. IJutJ^ adverffeff'td ^me f:\ctsalreadjJl^nd*Vrill 
advise you, as I have the Government and General Heintzelman, as events 
progress. 

Very respectfully yours, 

Henry B. Carkington, 
Brigadier-General, Com'd'g Dist. Indiana. 
His Excellency Gov. 0. P. Mortox, 
Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Two months after the above report was made, Governor Mor- 
ton Avas advised that a number of arras and a quantity of fixed 
ammunition had been shipped from New-York to the head of the 
Order at Indianapolis. Notice of the fact was given to the public 
authorities. Mj. Russell, the Deputy Marslial for the city of 
Indianapolis, discloses, in the following affidavit, what afterwards 
took place in relation to the matter : 

State of Indiana,) 
Marion County. \ ^^' 
Before me, James N. Swcetser, a Notary Public within and for the county 
of Marion, State of Indiana, personally appeared John S. Russell, who, 
being first duly sworn, upon his oath, says he is now, and has been for 
more than two years last past, the Deputy Marshal of the city of Indian- 
apolis, State of Indiana ; and further saj^s, that on the twentieth day of 
August, A.D, 1864, he was sent for by 0. P. Morton, Governor of the 
State of Indiana, and was informed that there was a lot of arms and am- 
munition on the road to Indianapolis addressed to the care of J. J. Parsons, 
whose place of business is in tlie building occupied by H. II. Dodd, and 
known as the l^entinel Office ; that upon tlie request of the Governor, he 
Iirocoeded to search, and went to two railroad depots and the office of the 
Merchants' Despatch, and learned that on the fifth day of August, ten boxes, 
marked Hardware by Merchants' Despatch, addressed to Parsons, had al- 
ready been taken away from the Bellefontaine Depot, and chai'ges paid ; 
the gross weight was two thousand four hundred and five pounds ; they 
were receipted for on August the twelfth ; on further investigation he 



learned that twentj^-two boxes, addressed to the same party, weighing four 
thousand two hundred and sixty pounds, marked Hardware, were then in 
the Eellefont;iine Depot, which fact was immediately reported to the Gov- 
ernor, and'tlie Governor reported to Col. Warner, commanding the Veteran 
Reserve Corps at this place, who thereupon detailed one company to go 
with said Russell and seize said boxes ; in pursuance of which the boxes 
were taken by Russell and said company from the building in which said 
II. 11. Dodd & Co. and Parsons were doing business. We proceeded first 
to the Bellefontaine Depot, but the boxes were gone; but on finding the 
drayman, whose name is Henry Ankenbrook, he stated that the boxes 
were delivered at the house above mentioned. We found the twenty-two 
boxes in the press-room ; four more in the same room, supposed to be of 
the first lot, in one corner of the room, covered up with old tables and 
boards ; and six boxes were found in the second story, piled up behind a 
lot of other boxes filled with waste-paper and books thrown over them, 
and Parsons name scratched off the boxes. There were three hundred and 
jiinety nvolvt-rs and one hundred and forty thousand rounds fixed ammu- 
JiJUuiiJj; '»?J.d.}.iC"j»S;. w'','"H were taken tn militn^-v heaflo'inrters at the Sol- 



Subscriped and swoiii to before me, this tenU: day or jjf: ■ 

^^^'^ James *iT. Swbetsek, 

Notary Public. 

^Flv«-cent Revenue-stMnp affixed.] 

The above shipment was made as "Stationery," as shown on 
the bill of lading, in order to conceal the true contents ol the 

boxes 

Twenty-two additional boxes of arras, addressed to the same 
person, were subsequently seized in New-York. . ^ v^ .» 

These arms were to have been used by the oath-bound traitoiB 
for the purpose of driving Union men from the polls at the 
approaching election in Indiana. How far similar desperate ar- 
rangement^ have been made to control the election in other 
States, is yet unknown. . ^ , . 

That the deliberations of the Chicago Convention were con- 
trolled by the Order of the "Sons of Liberty" no well-inlorraed 
man will deny. During its session. Dr. Olds, a leading member 
of the Order, an out-spoken traitor, boldly announced that the 
"Sons of Liberty" were in session in the city, and might have a 
communication to present to the Convention before its adjourn- 

"" Vallandingham wrote the platform, which was adopted almost 
unammouslyT and it was upon his motion that McClellan was 
declared the nominee of the Convention. T^e essential portions 
of the platform had been previously adopted by the Grand Coun- 
cil of the Order at a meeting held at Indianapolis on the sixteenth 
of February, 1864, as is shown by the followmg resolution found 
on the secrei recoi'ds of that Order, in the safe of Dodd, the Grand 
Commander for Indiana : 



8 

5 That whatever the theory of the powers of the Federal Government 
to coerce a State to remain in the Union may be, war as a means of restor- 
ing the Union is a delusion, involving a fearfnl wa^ste of hmnan life hope- 
less bankruptcy, and the speedy downfall of the Republic. Therefore we 
recommend a cessation of liostilities upon existing facts, and a convention 
of the sotereiqn States to adjust the terms of a peace with a mere to the 
restoration of the Union, entire if possible ; if not, so much and such 
parts as the affinities of interest and civilization may attract. 

Now read tlie following corresponding portion of the Chicago 
Platform : 

Besohed, That this Convention does explicitly declare, as the sense of 
thf American people, that after four years of failure to restore the Umon 
by the experiment of war, during which, under the pretence of a mill ary 
necessit'^ or war power higher than the Constitution, the Constitution itself 
S.S been dsregarded in every part, and public liberty and private right 
a ke tiodden down, and the material prosperity <^f .^J^^ i«^S^''^S tS 
imnaired iuV.i,o humanity, liberty, aM 'tlie' poMiC vrSfi^'^ftnandtli^ 
impanetl, ji. . .-.^.J^\. ^ ^^^Uon of LstiWics with- a vino to an 
;..'••. ■^rS*''^ •■----. c/r other peu;6.Jji^'^a'ris to the end 
Zest pra'cUcaNe moment peace may ie reitored on the hasis 

Tpare these resolutions, and no man can doubt their pater- 
nity — tliey each emanated from the brain of Vallandingham, the 
Grand Commander of tlie secret and oath-bound conspirators. 

Sliould the nominee of this secret Order be elected to the Presi- 
dency, his administration will be controlled by the men who 
controlled the Convention, as a conseqiience certain to follo-w. 
They will demand, in the language of the platform of their Order, 
" a cessation of hostilities u^^on existing facts, and a convention of 
all the sovereign States to adjust the terms of peace, with a view 
to the restoration of the Union, entire if possible ; if not^ so much 
and such jyctrts as the affinities of interest and civilization may 
attract.'''' The demand will be acceded to by their President, 
notwithstanding the fustian about " a preservation of the Union 
at all hazards," j^ut into his letter of acceptance for the jnirj^ose of 
catching votes. That is well understood, or else the oath-boxmd 
traitors would not now be making every possible effort to attain 
power through his election. 

Are the people willing that such a result, so revolting to every 
feeling of manliood and patriotism, shall thus be accomplished ? 

Every, })atiiot is against it. Every soldier in the field is against 
it. . Tlie blood of the thousands slain by rebel hands cries from 
tlie ground against it, and, we fervently believe, the Great Ruler 
of the Universe is aojaiust it. 




Printed by Johin A. Gray & Green, New- York. 



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